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Sommaire du brevet 3148437 

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Disponibilité de l'Abrégé et des Revendications

L'apparition de différences dans le texte et l'image des Revendications et de l'Abrégé dépend du moment auquel le document est publié. Les textes des Revendications et de l'Abrégé sont affichés :

  • lorsque la demande peut être examinée par le public;
  • lorsque le brevet est émis (délivrance).
(12) Brevet: (11) CA 3148437
(54) Titre français: SYSTEMES ET PROCEDES DE DETECTION ET D'ATTENUATION DE LOGICIELS RANCONNEURS
(54) Titre anglais: SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RANSOMWARE DETECTION AND MITIGATION
Statut: Accordé et délivré
Données bibliographiques
(51) Classification internationale des brevets (CIB):
  • G6F 21/56 (2013.01)
  • G6F 21/60 (2013.01)
(72) Inventeurs :
  • UNDERWOOD, DENNIS (Etats-Unis d'Amérique)
  • NEHMAN, KYLE (Etats-Unis d'Amérique)
  • GREENBURG, NOAH (Etats-Unis d'Amérique)
  • WEIDEMAN, MARK (Etats-Unis d'Amérique)
(73) Titulaires :
  • CYBER CRUCIBLE INC.
(71) Demandeurs :
  • CYBER CRUCIBLE INC. (Etats-Unis d'Amérique)
(74) Agent: BORDEN LADNER GERVAIS LLP
(74) Co-agent:
(45) Délivré: 2023-10-24
(86) Date de dépôt PCT: 2020-07-21
(87) Mise à la disponibilité du public: 2021-01-28
Requête d'examen: 2023-07-20
Licence disponible: S.O.
Cédé au domaine public: S.O.
(25) Langue des documents déposés: Anglais

Traité de coopération en matière de brevets (PCT): Oui
(86) Numéro de la demande PCT: PCT/US2020/042924
(87) Numéro de publication internationale PCT: US2020042924
(85) Entrée nationale: 2022-01-21

(30) Données de priorité de la demande:
Numéro de la demande Pays / territoire Date
16/934,997 (Etats-Unis d'Amérique) 2020-07-21
62/877,748 (Etats-Unis d'Amérique) 2019-07-23

Abrégés

Abrégé français

L'invention concerne un système et un procédé de protection d'un dispositif informatique d'un système cible contre des attaques par logiciel rançonneur, qui emploient un système de fichiers ayant une structure de données utilisée par un système d'exploitation du dispositif informatique pour gérer des fichiers. Un agent logiciel ou matériel installé dans le dispositif informatique effectue une ou plusieurs actions de manière autonome pour le compte du système cible. L'agent crée de manière autonome un ou plusieurs fichiers de piégeage dans la structure de données du système de fichiers. Un fichier de piégeage est un fichier auquel l'accès indique une probabilité d'attaque par logiciel rançonneur. L'agent surveille l'accès au ou aux fichiers de piégeage. Lors de la détection d'un accès à un fichier de piégeage, une action corrective est effectuée par le système cible contre la probabilité d'attaque par logiciel rançonneur.


Abrégé anglais

System and method for protecting a computing device of a target system against ransomware attacks employs a file system having a data structure used by an operating system of the computing device for managing files. A software or a hardware installed agent in the computing device performs one or more actions autonomously on behalf of the target system. The agent autonomously creates one or more trap files in the data structure of the filing system. A trap file is a file access to which indicates a probability of ransomware attack. The agent monitors access to the one or more trap files. Upon detecting access to a trap file, remedial action is performed by the target system against the probability of ransomware attack.

Revendications

Note : Les revendications sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.


CLAIMS:
1. A method for protecting a computing device of a target system against
ransomware
attacks, wherein the computing device employs a file system having a data
stnicture used by an
operating system of the computing device for accessing files based on file
paths, wherein
operating system uses a filing system implemented in a storage having a
directory that contains
a list of file names and other information related to the files, including the
file paths, the method
comprising the steps of:
a. installing an agent in the computing device, wherein the agent is a
software or a
hardware that performs one or more actions autonomously on behalf of the
target system,
including specifying one or more saved file paths in the storage device to one
or more trap files
each having a trap file name in the directory, wherein a trap file is a file
access to which indicates
a probability of ransomware attack;
b. monitoring access to the one or more trap files to detect the probability
of ransomware
attack;
c. upon detecting access to a trap file, performing a remedial action against
the
probability of ransomware attack.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure of the file system is
a tree structure.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein a file path for a trap file is specified
at the highest point
of the tree structure.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more file paths to the trap
files are specified
using a search tree algorithm.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the search tree algorithm comprises
binary search tree
algorithm.
39

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the search tree algorithm comprises a
tree traversal
algorithm.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the tree traversal algorithm is one of
depth-first
traversal, breadth-first traversal, Monte Carlo tree search, or random
sampling algorithms.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the depth-first traversal algorithm is
one of Pre-Order,
In-Order, Reverse In-Order, or Post-order algorithm.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein trap file attributes including name are
set such that the
trap files are encountered first during tree traversal operations.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the remedial action includes notifying a
user of the
target system.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the remedial action includes
automatically uploading a
trap file for analysis or decryption.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the remedial action includes identifying
a process that
accesses the one or more trap files.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identified process is either
isolated, killed or
suspended.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the remedial action includes performing
memory
analytics to extract a cryptovariable.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the probability of ransomware attack is
determined
based on one or more of access rate, permission level, file content or
attribute changes,
cryptographic activity or source process to the one or more file traps.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the system ls monitored for
cryptovariable activity.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein potential cryptovariables are captured
and stored.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein a process is monitored such as to allow
in-progress file
encryption to be completed, without allowing new files to be opened.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein the file paths comprise pseudorandom
file paths and
contents of trap files, include steganographic material.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein only those clients who directly access trap
files on shared
resource are alerted.
41

Description

Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.


CA 03148437 2022-01-21
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TITLE: SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RANSOMWARE DETECTION
AND MITIGATION
BACKGROUND
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to cybersecurity technology.
More
specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for
ransomware
detection and mitigation.
RELATED ART
[0002] In the cybersecurity field, ransomware is malware which denies a victim
access to data or equipment until an attacker allows access to be returned.
Typically,
access is denied due to the attacker encrypting the victim's data, and
decryption
capability is provided after the victim pays the ransom. Defensive and
attacker
ransomware-focused capabilities have matured in capability and complexity of
encryption capability, scope of resources denied, and payment methodologies.
[0003] Regarding encryption capability, encryption algorithms have grown in
quality
to the standardized encryption algorithms and implementations seen in use
today for
regulated and secure government, military, and commercial uses. The quality of
an
encryption algorithm is assessed based on the inability of a party with modern
computing hardware, that is not the intended or approved decryptor, to
decrypt.
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Current strong encryption that is certified by the National Institute of
Standards and
Technology ("NIST"), 256-bit ABS encryption, is estimated to take 9.63x1052
years
for an unintended party to decrypt.
[0004] Encryption algorithm vulnerabilities affect encrypted material's
(ciphertext's)
robustness against being exposed by unintended parties. These vulnerabilities
can be
categorized by vulnerabilities in the logic of the encryption itself, and
vulnerabilities
introduced by improvements in computing power. Often, each category influences
the other. Discovered logic fallacies which may have reduced naive decryption
to
still-longer-than-lifetimes (for example) timeframes, over time become threats
resulting in decryption in much shorter times due to improvements in computing
power.
[0005] For ransomware implications, some ransomware malware leverages
encryption algorithms which are vulnerable to cryptographic attacks. This is
one
method that allows security researchers to have some initial success against
ransomware, without paying the attacker a ransom. While ransomware which is
vulnerable may still be in use, the attackers' financial motivation to force
the victims
to not bypass their ransom payment has changed this dynamic. Modern ransomware
malware increasingly leverages encryption algorithms that are robust to
decrypt post-
encryption, without a decryption program provided by the attacker.
[0006] During encryption operations, cryptovariables are settings and
variables
required to encrypt and decrypt material. These variables go beyond encryption
algorithm or encryption key. They include such elements as encryption key
size,
padding algorithm, nonce, initialization vector (iv), or encryption algorithm
variant.
Creation, distribution, and implementation of these cryptovariables are
necessary for
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any encryption operations, of which ransomware is certainly an encryption-
based
operation.
[0007] The encryption operations must be planned, and conducted, in a manner
which
does not introduce vulnerabilities which allow unintended recipients to
decrypt. For
ransomware authors, this means that encryption operations, improperly
conducted,
may result in opportunities for advanced cybersecurity defenders to exploit
those
vulnerabilities to decrypt without paying the ransom, even if the encryption
algorithm
used is strong.
[0008] Historically, ransomware authors have created and distributed
cryptovariables
in ways which have enabled cybersecurity defenders to gain access. This
included
predictable cryptovariables, such as encryption keys that are not created via
proper
randomization (an encryption key of all zeroes, for example), improper
cryptovariable
reuse, and improper implementation of encryption algorithms.
[0009] Modern ransomware demonstrates an increase in knowledge on
cryptographic
operations. Cryptovariables are random, uniquely generated, securely
distributed, and
securely stored and implemented. Easy
wins from previous operational
vulnerabilities may still exist in some infections, but ransomware attackers,
financially incentivized to force payment of their ransom, have corrected most
or all
operational vulnerabilities.
[0010] Regarding ransomware scope of operations, the more data and devices
which
are rendered unavailable to the victim, the greater the financial value of the
attack to
the ransomware attacker. Additionally, automated spreading of ransomware
malware
from device to device may result in additional connected victims not related
to the
original target. Examples of this may be customers or contractors traversing a
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business network, or supply chain companies connected to the attacker's
original
target.
[0011] This has also extended to increases in capability of the malware, to
include
network resources which the victim is connected to. This means that items such
as
file servers which the victim is connected to are also able to be encrypted,
sometimes
automatically.
[0012] Ransomware attackers have begun combining tactics normally reserved for
data breaches with ransomware attacks. This is related to both maximizing the
cost,
and subsequent ransom value, to the victim. This is done in two ways: removing
backups, and targeting high value data. Attackers now leverage automated and
manual discovery of victim backups, to ensure the backups are not available to
the
victim through either encryption or deletion. This may also involve ensuring
they
have access through introduction of other attack activities, such as elevation
of
privileges to ensure administrator defenses do not protect backups.
[0013] Additionally, while working inside of the victim's network, versus
executing
ransomware immediately, attackers are also ensuring they first gain access to
the
highest value data to the business or individual. Maximum cost to the client
is related
to the intellectual property and operations data found on servers not
necessarily
immediately available to the attacker, without maneuvering in the network to
the
appropriate machines and permissions.
[0014] Ransomware uses multiple file access and traversal algorithms to ensure
the
most valuable user and corporate data is encrypted. The file access algorithms
for
ransomware consist of a combination of tree traversal algorithms such as the
binary
search tree algorithm, and executing these tree traversal algorithms in a
manner which
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has a higher probability of encrypting the most data without being detected
and
stopped.
[0015] The ransomware program search for data, and subsequent encryption of
data,
typically must be automated. This is because, for one example, the attacker
must be
able to execute their encryption attack across many machines and many victims
too
quickly for a person to manually manage.
Therefore, the attacker must pre-set
algorithms based on the probability of victims having large quantities of
valuable data.
These algorithms are predictable and finite in number.
[0016] Encrypting the most data, and the most valuable data, means that the
order of
encryption operations biases locations in the network that are mostly likely
to have
valuable data. For example, a ransomware program may be configured to encrypt
network servers which have shared folders with a user, because that server
most likely
has files more important to the business than what an individual would have on
their
desktop, but also would contain the sum of files being saved across all
business
workstations.
[0017] Encrypting without being detected and subsequently stopped by a victim
means performing actions such as prioritizing encrypting files which would be
not
noticed by a user or administrator for as long as possible, while first
encrypting files
valuable to the victim. For example, encrypting the user's files on the
desktop would
almost certainly have less files than a server, meaning less potential value
to the
victim, and the encryption operation would be immediately noticed by the user.
Another example would be encrypting files which are necessary for proper
operation
of servers or desktops. If the user's desktop crashes due to operating system
files
being encrypted, not only would the ransomware not be able to continue
operating

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due to the crashed system, but it would also immediately be noticed by the
victim,
whom would immediately take measures to try to stop further encryption.
[0018] As such, it is desirable to provide users with capabilities to detect
and mitigate
ransomware attacks. Accordingly, the systems and methods disclosed herein
solve
these and other needs.
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SUMMARY
[0019] Briefly, according to the present invention, a system and method for
protecting
a computing device of a target system against ransomware attacks employs a
file
system having a data structure used by an operating system of the computing
device
for managing files. A software or a hardware installed agent in the computing
device
performs one or more actions autonomously on behalf of the target system. The
agent
autonomously creates one or more trap files in the data structure of the
filing system.
A trap file is a file access to which indicates a probability of ransomware
attack. The
agent monitors access to the one or more trap files. Upon detecting access to
a trap
file, remedial action is performed by the target system against the
probability of
ransomware attack.
[0020] According to other features of the present invention, the data
structure of the
file system is a tree structure and a file path for a trap file is specified
at the highest
point of the tree structure. File paths to trap files can be specified using a
search tree
algorithm such as binary search tree algorithm or tree traversal algorithm.
The tree
traversal algorithm can be one of depth-first traversal, breadth-first
traversal, Monte
Carlo tree search, or random sampling algorithms. The depth-first traversal
algorithm
can be one of Pre-Order, In-Order, Reverse In-Order, or Post-order algorithms.
[0021] According to other details of the present invention, the remedial
action
includes notifying a user of the target system or automatically uploading an
accessed
trap file. The remedial action can also include identifying a process that
accesses the
one or more trap files such that the identified process is either isolated,
killed, or
suspended.
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[0022] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] The foregoing features of the invention will be apparent from the
following
Detailed Description of the Invention, taken in connection with the
accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the system of the present disclosure;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating possible operations of the software
agent and
the hardware agent of the present disclosure;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating components of the hardware agent of
the
present disclosure;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating example connection options of the
hardware
agent of the present disclosure to the user device;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of multiple user devices
transmitting data to the artifacts database of the present disclosure;
[0029] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating example analytics performed by the
agent of
the present disclosure;
[0030] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating steps for detecting a ransomware
attack and
generating/deploying the decryptor solution; and
[0031] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating steps for obtaining a user license to
the agent
of the present disclosure.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] The present invention relates to systems and methods for ransomware
detection and protection, as described in detail below in connection with
FIGS. 1-8.
[0033] A part of the ransomware behavior detection strategy is the use of
monitored
artifacts placed on the system. One such artifact is a trap file positioned
within a
filing system used by an operating system of a computing device, including a
processing node or machine, a client, a server or a stand-alone workstation.
Access to
a trap file indicates a probability of a ransomware attack. These artifacts
are placed
by position, content, and quality to enable a very high probability of both
detection of
ransomware activity and behavior of the ransomware activity, and a very low
probability of users encountering the artifacts.
[0034] In one embodiment, the present invention relates to systems and methods
for
automatically discovering the start of a ransomware attack based on access to
trap
files and defeating an attacker's encryption. In another embodiment, the
present
invention provides both hardware and software solutions, because attackers may
gain
the ability to render an attacked computing device unable to submit files to
decrypt, or
prohibit the user from manually interacting with the infected system.
[0035] In other embodiments, the present invention uses a combination of
targeted
data collected from a user's computing devices, using cryptanalytic
techniques, right
before the attack occurs and during the attack, combined with cryptographic
analytics
using machine learning techniques on the collected data, provide targets of
ransomware attacks the ability to both automatically discovery and recover
from
ransomware attacks. The system of the present invention uses an agent
installed on a
machine, and a remote server that performs cryptographically-aligned
analytics. The
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agent can have software-based or a hardware-based monitoring capability. In
one
embodiment, an agent is a software computer program or a hardware that
performs
various actions autonomously on behalf of targets of ransomware attacks.
[0036] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the system of the present disclosure,
indicated
generally at 10. The system 10 includes a user device 12, a network 20, an
artifacts
database 22, a crypto-analytic discovery server 26, and a decryptor build
server 28.
The user device 12 can be any electronic device such as a personal computer, a
desktop computer, a tablet computer, mobile phone, a smartphone, a phablet, an
embedded device, a wearable device, a field-programmable gate array ("FPGA"),
an
application-specific integrated circuit ("ASIC"), etc. The user device 12 can
include a
software agent 14 and/or a hardware agent 16. The user device 12 can further
connect
to an agent web application or an agent API, which will be discussed in
further detail
below.
[0037] The artifacts database 22 can receive artifacts from the user device
12. In one
embodiment, the artifacts include data and/or telemetry generated by
ransomware that
is present on the user device 12. The crypto-analytic discovery server 26 can
include
one or more servers that query the artifacts database 22 with analytics
focused on
ransomware behavior, and can execute an analytics engine 24, which performs
cryptographically-aligned analytics. The decryptor build server 28 can
generate
decryptor solutions for combating ransomware software. These will be discussed
in
further detail below. It is noted that the artifacts database 22, the crypto-
analytic
discovery server 26, and the decryptor build server 28 can be embodied in a
single
hardware unit, or in multiple hardware units.

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[0038] The user device 12, the artifacts database 22, the crypto-analytic
discovery
server 26, and the decryptor build server 28 can be connected to the network
20 such
that each can transmit and receive data from each other. The network 20 can be
any
type of wired or wireless network, including but not limited to, a legacy
radio access
network ("RAN"), a Long Term Evolution radio access network ("LTE-RAN"), a
wireless local area network ("WLAN"), such as a WiFi network, an Ethernet
connection, or any other type network used to support communication. For
example,
the user device 12 can be connected to the artifacts database 22 via a
wireless network
connection (e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi, LTE-RAN, etc.). The crypto-analytic
discovery
server 26 can be any type of server/database/hardware component used for
executing
the analytics engine 24. Alternatively, the analytics engine 24 could be on
the cloud.
[0039] An agent, which is embodied as software (e.g., the software agent 14)
or
hardware (e.g., the hardware agent 16), collects data focused on activities on
the user
device 12, whether it is a desktop/laptop, a server, an IoT/embedded device, a
mobile
device, a computing device etc. The user device in one embodiment of the
invention
is a computing device that executes an operating system that uses a filing
system
implemented in a hard drive or directory. A directory contains a list of file
names and
other information related to the files, including file paths. The agent can
exist as
either a software application, or as a hardware-based monitoring capability.
[0040] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing operations of the software agent 14 and the
hardware agent 16. Specifically, the software agent 14 and the hardware agent
16 can
perform operations including executing/operating the agent 32, accessing
databases/servers 34 (e.g., the artifacts database 22, the crypto-analytic
discovery
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server 26, the decryptor build server 28, and the cloud), and accessing files
for
upload/download 36.
[0041] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing components of the hardware agent 16, which
can
be installed in and/or attached to the user device 12 internally or
externally.
Specifically, FIG. 3 shows a wired or wireless network capability component
42, a
system memory access capability component 44, and an upload/upgrade component
46.
[0042] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing example connection options of the hardware
agent 16 to the user device 12 (not shown). Specifically, the hardware
component 16
(having a form factor 52) can be connected to the user device 12 via an
internal
peripheral 54 (e.g., a PCI-E card), an external peripheral (e.g., Firewire)
56, or an
integrated circuit 58 (e.g., an integrated circuit embedded on an existing
mainboard).
Those skilled in the art would understand that other connection options can be
used.
[0043] An agent installed in the user device 12 monitors file access activity
for
detecting ransomware attacks and performs analytics to determine whether to
submit
data to the artifacts database 22, with a strong bias towards submitting data
which has
an unknown likelihood of being involved in a ransomware activity, versus only
submitting data which has a high likelihood. The rationale is that, once a
ransomware
attack has occurred on the monitored device, the artifacts necessary for both
attack
discovery, and decryption algorithm discovery must already be collected to be
useful.
[0044] In one embodiment, the agent monitors user device 12 memory and files
for
forensic evidence of potential cryptovariables in real time, to submit to the
remote
artifacts database 22. This includes cryptovariables that can be encryption
keys,
decryption keys, initialization vectors, or other pieces of data associated
with
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cryptographic operations on the user device 12. The agent further monitors the
user
device 12 operating system for use of operating system cryptographic API
calls.
Specifically, the agent monitors encryption-associated functions and methods,
and
information generated from their use is transmitted to the artifacts database
22. The
agent also monitors file access events, including access to trap files, to
include
analytics such as one program writing multiple files, or repeated access of
programs
to rename files. The order of which programs access files for reading and
writing is
important, and is preserved as well while the data is sent to the artifacts
database 22.
[0045] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of multiple user devices (e.g.,
a
desktop, a mobile device, a server, and a IoT device) transmitting data to the
artifacts
database 22, which communicates with the crypto-analytic discovery server 26.
It is
noted that ransomware attackers can attack defensive products which interfere
with
their attack, and attackers will gain privileged access to user devices to
render the
system itself unable to operate. This means a software solution may not
properly
enable automated detection, submission of, and decryption of ransomware
encryption
and ransomware encrypted files.
[0046] There are also some analytics and monitoring of potential forensic
artifacts
that cannot be performed strictly from hardware. Due to this, the system 10
can be a
hardware-only version (only uses the hardware agent 16), and a hybrid hardware-
software version (uses both the software agent 14 and the hardware agent 16).
The
hardware agent 16 can: 1) operate independently of the operating system, and
function regardless of whether the operating system files are encrypted; 2)
have
visibility to system memory and CPU operations; 3) can exist as an on-board
programmable chip, an internal peripheral (like a PCI-E card), or external
peripheral;
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4) can conduct wired or wireless network communication; 5) can submit
artifacts to
the artifact database 22; 6) can submit potentially encrypted files for to the
analytics
engine 24 for analysis; 7) can receive and execute decryption solutions; and
8) can
receive and execute/load the software agent 14.
[0047] The agent (via the software agent 14, the hardware agent 16, or both)
continuously submits potentially useful information to the remote artifacts
database
22. The crypto-analytic discovery server 26 continually query the artifacts
database
22 with analytics focused on ransomware software behaviors which would exhibit
on
the machine.
[0048] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing example analytics performed by the agent.
Specifically, the analytics can include memory operations analytics 62, file
operations
analytics 64, and cryptographic API operations analytics 66. The memory
operations
analytics 62 includes pre-processing load/unload operations against memory and
entropy analytics against memory. The file operations analytics 64 includes
file
access behaviors, file open and close behaviors, and file renaming behaviors,
including those applied to trap files. The cryptographic API operations
analytics 66
includes operating system key generation behaviors, operating system key use
behaviors, and operating system encryption function behaviors. These will be
discussed in further detail throughout this disclosure.
[0049] During a suspected ransomware attack discovery, the system 10 can
perform a
discovery process. For example, the discovery process can include the system
10
determining that, for example: 1) a program adds an ".encrypted" extension to
several
files in a directory in rapid succession; 2) a program generates a large
number of
cryptovariables in a short period of time, observed in memory; and/or 3) a
program
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accesses a cryptography-focused operating system function many times in a
short
period of time, with a large number of file read and writes in short time.
[0050] Additionally, the system 10 can apply machine learning analytics to: 1)
apply
statistical probabilities to filename changes expected for legitimate
operations; 2)
conduct entropy calculations concerning file system changes as observed in the
artifacts database 22; and/or 3) apply statistical probabilities as to
programs observed
generating cryptographic materials or using cryptographic operations.
[0051] Upon successful application of machine learning or other analytics
which
identify a potential ransomware attack, the system 10 can perform a remedial
action.
In a first example, the remedial action can include notifying the user to
manually
submit either a chosen pre-positioned file, including a trap file, created by
the agent or
a client encrypted file to the encrypted file server through the agent web
application
or the agent API. In a second example, the remedial action can include the
agent
automatically uploading either a chosen pre-positioned file such as a trap
file, or a
client encrypted file, including a trap file, to an encrypted file server, and
register the
upload with the agent web application or the agent API.
[0052] Upon submission receipt, the system 10, via the analytics engine 24,
can
perform combinations of cryptovariables, cryptographic operations, and file
configurations in a manner which increases the likelihood of success, with the
goal of
identifying a correctly decrypted file as efficiently as possible. A variety
of analytic
servers can operate in a parallel distributed processing model to conduct
cryptographic analysis of inputs from the encrypted file, combined with
artifacts of
suspected cryptographic activity, and outputs are examined to determine the
correct
cryptographic variables to implement.

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[0053] For example, a ransomware variant can randomly generate an ABS 256 byte
encryption key to encrypt all files on the system, using the "ABS CTR"
efficient file
encryption variant of the ABS encryption algorithm, and implements PKCS7
padding.
Leveraging these, and a variety of other cryptovariables, the artifacts
database 22
contains all possible keys or partial key material observed from memory or
having
been used in likely cryptographic activities on a system. Starting with the
most
recently generated keys, the analytics engine 24 examines the specific
submitted file's
position in the ABS CTR counter value cryptovariable, and determines the most
likely
counter cryptovariable to apply with the probable collected encryption keys.
While
attempting the decryption using these variables, starting with the variables
the
machine learning algorithm has determined have the highest probability of
success,
the system 10 can find a successful combination of cryptovariables through
examining outputs of the decrypted file.
[0054] The discovery of a successful combination of cryptovariables is
registered
with the agent web application and or the agent API. Other decryption-focused
crypto-analytic servers are notified of this, and stop examining this
particular file,
which can be a trap file. Additionally, the system 10 can task the decryptor
build
server 28 with generating a decryptor solution for the user. Once the system
10 has
found a combination of cryptovariables which result in the successful
decryption of a
client-submitted encrypted file, including an encrypted trap file, and
generates the
decryptor solution, the system 10 can automatically deploy the decryptor
solution to
be executed on the user device 12.
[0055] The decryptor solution can be executed as separate stand-alone
software, as a
dynamically loaded software module via the software agent 14 or the hardware
agent
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16. The decryptor build server 28 can listen for tasks to build decryptor
solutions,
which can be custom made with the correct cryptographic variables inserted, in
addition to variables such as the order in which files must be decrypted and
renamed
to their original names.
[0056] Once the decryptor build server 28 generates the decryptor solution, it
then
uploads to a file server, and registers the decryptor solution with the agent
web
application and/or the agent API. From there, per user configuration via the
agent
web application/agent API, the user can be notified that there is a decryption
capability (e.g., the decryptor solution) available to them, for download to
the
machine specified in the agent web application/agent API. The user then can
download the decryptor solution. Once the user is notified that there is a
decryption
solution available to them, that it has automatically been deployed to the
user device
12, and that it is currently decrypting, a status of the decryptor solution is
available
via the agent web application/agent API for remote monitoring by the user.
[0057] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing steps discussed above for detecting a
ransomware
attack, and generating/deploying the decryptor solution, indicated generally
at 70. In
step 72, the system 10 tasks the decryptor build server 28 to generate the
decryptor
solution. In step 74, the system 10 saves/uploads the decryptor solution to a
file
server. In step 76, the system 10 registers the decryptor solution with the
agent web
application and/or the agent API. In step 78, the system 10 deploys the
decryptor
solution to the user device 12. In step 80, the system 10 notifies the user of
the
decryptor solution's deployment.
[0058] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing steps for obtaining a user license to the
agent,
indicated generally at 90. In step 92, the user purchases a license(s) for
using the
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agent. In step 94, the user receives a list of licenses available for
assignment to agents.
In step 96, the user assigns one or more licenses to one or more agents, and
selects
license configurations. In step 98, the user downloads agents to the user
device(s).
As used herein, an agent is a software program or hardware that performs
various
actions continuously and autonomously on behalf of a user or an organization.
For
example, an agent may position various trap files in locations within a filing
system
used by an operating system in a node or machine. The file system has a data
structure used by the operating system of the computing devices for managing
files.
The agent monitors access to the trap files before performing remedial action
in case
of a ransomware attack. A trap file is a file access which indicates a
probability of
ransomware attack.
[0059] FIG. 9 depicts a block diagram of a system implementing a Software-as-a-
Service (SaaS) platform with servers including the crypto-analytic discovery
server
26 and decryptor build server 28 shown in FIG. 1. The system executes a
software
system called Ransomware Rewind, which is developed and implemented by Cyber
Crucible Inc., the assignee of the present application, to protect against
ransom
malware by detecting ransomware activity. Once installed, Ransomware Rewind
software can be executed as an agent in any node of the system, including a
server, a
client, a user device, or workstation. Once executed, a Ransomware Rewind
agent
creates trap files within the file system of the node. A file system is the
methods and
data structures that an operating system uses to keep track of files on a disk
or
partition; that is, the way the files are organized on the disk. The trap
files are created
in order to detect a potential ransomware attack. Access to a trap file
indicates
ransomware attack. The Ransomware Rewind agent monitors access to trap file
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access and performs remedial action against ransomware attack based on
cryptographically-aligned analytics according to the present invention.
[0060] In one embodiment of the SaaS, Ransomware Rewind software system is
implemented using Amazon Web Services, where communications occur via Amazon
messaging services (SNS / SQS) or HTTPS REST APIs. The SaaS also implements
licensing and agent delivery services to subscribers 1, 2 and 3 on a
subscription basis
and is hosted centrally or distributed.
[0061] Typically, the network over which the present invention is implemented
comprises a plurality of privately or publicly connected nodes, comprising one
or
more processor nodes, machines, or servers or clusters of servers and or
nodes, that
are enabled to exchange information over one or more links. Exemplary networks
comprise any one or more of WANs, LANs, PANs, Internet 120, as well as ad hoc
networks such as Bluetooth or Extranets. A node comprises one or more
processor
units (software or hardware, or virtual nodes) and/or devices located anywhere
in the
network that processes information and/or performs an attributed function,
such as
crypto analytics. Any node or any component with a node can be virtualized in
hardware or software to implement an analytics engine or an agent described
above.
Different types of nodes can include a receiver node, which receives
information, a
processor node, which processes information, and a transmitter node, which
transmits
processed information. Examples of nodes include server nodes, client nodes,
computer nodes, processor nodes, communication nodes, work stations, PDAs,
mobile devices, sensors, etc..
[0062] For example, memory analytics are performed by processes on nodes or
machines of the system to detect cryptographic operations and extract keys,
where
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Ransomware Rewind software uses both user and kernel space libraries to
monitor
device activity. The user devices can be devices operating individually or in
groups
or sub-groups. The nodes of the system can be connected to each other
according to
any suitable network model, including but not limited to client server models
as well
as a hierarchical or distribution models. A link comprises any medium over
which
two nodes may communicate information with each other. Exemplary links
include,
but are not limited to, wired, fiber, cable, or wireless links (e.g.,
Bluetooth, UWB,
USB, etc.). A communication channel comprises any channel used with a link for
delivery of content, which can include data obtained from nodes, applications
or
agents executing in nodes or devices.
[0063] FIG. 10 shows an exemplary block diagram of operation layers of the
system
of FIG. 1 that implements the present invention for service subscribers in
groups or
sub-groups. According to this embodiment, the system includes a back-end
system
530 and a front-end system 560. The front-end system 560 provides user
interfaces to
subscribed service users and participants. The back-end system 530 is used for
system
administration, billing, etc. The front-end system 560 allows user access
to
application center 562, which accesses back-end databases 542A and 540A, such
as
the artifacts database 22 shown in FIG. 1. The front-end system 560 provides
the
managers interactive access to users and user groups sessions via user devices
550
and 552. The users interface with the front-end and back-end systems 560 and
530
via the Internet 120 or through a wired network 524 and/or a wireless network
526.
In an exemplary embodiment, the user devices execute a network access
application,
for example, but not limited to a browser or any other suitable application or
applet,
for accessing the back-end system 530 or the front-end 560, depending on
defined
access privileges which may be subject to multiple levels of administrative
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under multiple levels of access control. The users 510, 552, or 550 may be
required to
go through a log-in session and multiple levels of authentication before
entering the
system.
[0064] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the back-end system 530
includes a firewall 532, which is coupled to one or more load balancers 534A,
534B.
Load balancers 534A-B are in turn coupled to one or more web servers 536A-B.
The
web servers 536A-B are coupled to one or more application servers 538A-C, each
of
which includes and/or accesses one or more databases 540, 542, which may be
central
or distributed databases, which store cryptographic materials and artifacts.
[0065] Web servers 536A-B, coupled with load balancers 534A-B, perform load
balancing functions for providing optimum online session performance by
transferring subscribers, participant, users, managers, or administrators
requests to
one or more of the application servers 538A-C. The application servers 538A-C
may
include a database management system (DBMS) 546 and/or a file server 548,
which
manage access to one or more databases 540, 542. In the exemplary embodiment
depicted in FIG. 10, the application server 538A and/or 538B provides
applications to
the participants 506, 510, 552 which includes electronic interfaces,
application
material, participant profiles, etc.
[0066] The central or distributed database 540, 542, stores, among other
things,
artifact data and application material deliverable to user devices. The
database 540,
542 also stores retrievable information relating to or associated with various
types of
participants, administrators, managers, user groups, user profiles, billing
information,
schedules, statistical data, progress data, user attributes, participant
attributes. Any or
all of the foregoing data can be processed and associated as necessary for
achieving a
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desired objective associated with operating the system of the present
invention, for
example, data related to conditions, tasks, schedules, and so on.
[0067] Ransomware Rewind executed in one or more nodes that are under the
control
of one or more operating systems determines paths to trap files in directories
and
drives using multiple methods. Ransomware Rewind specifies file paths for trap
files
in positions using search tree algorithms such as binary search tree and tree
traversal.
Tree traversal is a process of visiting each node in a tree data structure.
Such
traversals are classified by the order in which the nodes are accessed for
attack.
Directories and drives are chosen and can be local to the node for use by
users and
program during normal operating system operations. If a node has multiple
users,
trap file locations include all possible users on the system, including
administrative,
management, and system users. Given that file systems are organized as
multiple tree
hierarchies inside of operating systems, the identified locations are at the
highest level
tree points in the file system.
[0068] After the highest level tree points are chosen for each tree, file
paths to "trap
files" are determined. The trap files are stored based on the file paths,
which are
determined to trap a ransomware attacker of the trap files. In one embodiment,
the
algorithm for determining trap file paths uses tree traversal algorithms,
including both
depth-first traversal (Pre-Order, In-Order, Reverse In-Order, and Post-order),
breadth-
first traversal, Monte Carlo tree search, and random sampling algorithms. The
algorithms are combined with sorting methods and an automated file and
directory
search algorithm is used to determine order of access to trap files within
those tree
traversal behaviors. For example, file size, file name, file type, and date of
file
creation or last edit can all be used.
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[0069] For example, paths to trap files across the system are determined using
tree
traversal and sorting/order of access algorithms. Trap file names and
attribute tables
are created to maximize the probability that, whichever sorting algorithm,
searching/traversal algorithm, file type, or file attribute prioritization
algorithm is
used, there is a very high probability that a Ransomware Rewind installed trap
file
will not only be included in the ransomware attack, but will also be the first
or one of
the first trap files to be accessed for attack.
[0070] The naming of trap files, their paths, their contents, and their
attributes are
adjusted using a pseudo-random algorithm. This pseudo-random algorithm is
designed so that all variables associated with the trap files are not able to
be
automatically detected and ignored by attackers, but are able to be identified
by all
Ransomware Rewind software regardless of which software installation created
them.
[0071] The trap file artifacts are hidden from view from users, and most are
in
locations that a user will not access during their normal use of their
programs
regardless. Administrators may observe trap file artifacts during system and
server
maintenance activities while using privileged account access. All trap file
artifacts
are catalogued in the Ransomware Rewind database, and are available for
identification via the Ransomware Rewind administration portal.
[0072] When a new possible device or directory is created or made available on
a
system with Ransomware Rewind installed, the Ransomware Rewind software
automatically creates additional trap file artifacts for that drive or
directory as
necessary to ensure protection monitoring is in place. Ransomware Rewind
software
monitors file resources made available to the system during installation and
during
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operations, whether local, or remote, and whether a drive letter or mount
point is
associated with an available resource.
[0073] Network resources are often more valuable to both the attacker and the
victim,
due to the volume of data stored in centralized business locations, but also
each piece
of data used by multiple personnel or programs to the business is highly
likely to be
more important. Monitoring network resources is performed by all clients and
servers
that have Ransomware Rewind installed. This is to ensure that access of a
network
resource, whether by an attacker infecting the network resource itself, or via
a
connected client accessing the network server, is monitored. Any individual
client
also cannot be assumed to be on or connected to a resource, so all software
installations which have access to a shared resource, all monitor at the same
time.
[0074] With all possible clients monitoring a shared resource at a given time,
a
security manager will receive an alert from all connected Ransomware Rewind
software installations online at time of shared resource trap file artifact
interaction.
This would result in possibly thousands or greater incidents being alerted to
a security
manager. An algorithm is used to ensure that the minimum number of alerts are
sent
to the security manager, despite scenarios where multiple clients are infected
and
attempting to access a trap file artifact on a shared resource, if the shared
resource
does not have Ransomware Rewind monitoring enabled through attacker actions or
another reason, or if the client which is accessing the trap file does not
have
Ransomware Rewind software installed.
[0075] Preferably, the alert reporting algorithm for shared network resources
has low
latency, to milliseconds, due to the speed by which modern ransomware encrypts
files.
This means that there cannot be, for example a delay waiting for a currently
offline
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client, such as the one that installed the trap file, to reconnect to the
shared resource at
some point in the future or to be notified by other monitoring clients. The
alert
reporting algorithm functions regardless of what percentage of monitoring
clients are
currently monitoring local and shared trap file artifacts at any given moment.
[0076] The alert reporting algorithm must also function such that only those
clients
with Ransomware Rewind software installed which are actively engaging with a
shared resource trap file should be alerted, for the security manager to know
which
nodes are infected, and to enable automated or manual response for only the
infected
nodes.
[0077] The alert reporting algorithm must also function such that if a client
accessing
the shared resource trap file does not have Ransomware Rewind software
installed or
enabled, an alert identifying the accessing client is included in the alert.
[0078] To ensure that monitoring of a shared resource trap file is maintained
by all
clients with Ransomware Rewind software, but that only the nodes which are
directly
accessing the trap file alert and provide option for automated or manual
remediation
are alerting, the algorithm uses operating system API, e.g., Windows File
Access
Driver API, activity which indicates interaction with shared resource or
remote trap
file.
[0079] To ensure monitoring of a shared resource trap file artifact which is
currently
being accessed by a client which does not have Ransomware Rewind software
enabled, or if trap file artifacts are being installed locally from the shared
resource
server itself, Ransomware Rewind software is installed on the shared resource
server,
and alerts are generated for locally accessed trap files on the server in
addition to
alerts generated from clients which are accessing the shared trap file
remotely. Based

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on the alert generated, the security manager has the ability to observe if a
client
without Ransomware Rewind software installed is accessing the file server.
This
information detailing the originating source of trap file access is gathered
using
operating system API call monitoring of trap file access operations on the
server.
[0080] An alert is generated regardless of what percentage of shared resource
clients
are online at time of trap file artifact access. An algorithm is used to
ensure that all
Ransomware Rewind installations with clients and servers must not all alert a
victim,
or all react. Instead, only a node or workstation whose operating system
detects an
attack sends alerts. There could be, at most, 2 alerts of potential trap file
activity: the
shared resource device with Ransomware Rewind installed, and the client which
is
currently accessing the trap file on the shared network resource, if only two
machines
were involved.
[0081] In the case of the shared resource machine, the trap file is local to
that
machine. The Ransomware Rewind software on the server reports the trap file
access,
and which remote client is currently accessing the file trap. This is in case
the remote
client does not currently have Ransomware Rewind software installed or
running.
[0082] In the case of the client, all of the clients are monitoring through
Windows
File Access Driver API which trap files are being accessed. Only the client(s)
which
directly access(es) the trap files issue an alert of potential ransomware
activity,
instead of all possible clients which can observe the access.
[0083] By combining both server monitoring, and client monitoring, alerts for
only
directly encrypting or encrypted affiliated clients and servers are indicated,
but at
least one alert is indicated, if at least one machine has Ransomware Rewind
installed.
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[0084] In one embodiment, steganography is used inside pseudo-randomly
Generated
trap files. Trap file contents cannot be identical between trap files visible
to the
Ransomware Rewind software, and cannot be identical between different
Ransomware Rewind installations on systems. This is to provide uniqueness in
case a
trap file has been discovered to be stolen during a cyber attack, and to
prevent the
attacker from recognizing the trap file, especially automatically, and
avoiding or
behaving differently concerning interacting (such as encrypting) a trap file.
[0085] The trap file contents also need to be known by the Ransomware Rewind
server, without needing to be passed back and forth between them. This is
because
the known plaintext trap file is necessary to both track tampering, even if
the trap file
is discovered due to customer action or attacker theft, and to demonstrate a
successful
decryption by Ransomware Rewind server decryption capabilities in case the
trap file
was encrypted.
[0086] To ensure both the Ransomware Rewind server and all software tracks the
unique trap file contents, a pseudo-random trap file contents generation
algorithm is
used, based on an algorithm that can use a shared negotiated seed for each,
that
enables the file contents to be reconstructed on the Ransomware Rewind server,
without needing the trap file to be transmitted prior to attacker action. This
auto-
generation produces legitimate files with proper contents, such as a PDF with
real text
and image contents, that would be properly rendered via the appropriate tool
(such as
Adobe PDF Reader) if viewed by that application.
[0087] Additionally added to the trap file are details of the node or client
or machine,
file location, and Ransomware Rewind software installation unique identifiers
to trace
an individual trap file back to its source in case of data theft. The details
also capture
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environment information useful for later forensic analysis. This is encrypted
and
encoded into the trap file using a selection of modern steganographic
techniques that
are available. The particular technique and encryption key is shared between a
trap
file and the Ransomware Rewind database.
[0088] The present invention differentiates between legitimate trap file
access and
ransomware. It is always possible for legitimate file access to occur. Steps
are taken
to both automatically exclude non-ransomware interaction, and to allow the
user to
create automation exceptions or confirmations of attack based on information
gathered during alert. Combinations of observations concerning interaction
with file
traps are used to provide a confidence score to ignore, alert, or to
automatically
respond. Separate observations offer lower confidence of an attack.
Observations for
automated response include:
= read, write, or copy access of files that are hidden, require
administrative
privileges to access, or are in locations not associated with normal business
operations;
= altering contents of a trap file;
= alerting contents of a trap file in which the known contents dramatically
increase in contents entropy. High entropy is indicative of robust encryption
such as used in ransomware. Lowering entropy can be indicative of a change
in file contents to prepend encrypted contents with a ransomware tracking
identifier used by the attacker, which is sometimes observed in ransomware
protocols.
= Alerting of file attributes including size, date accessed, date created,
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permissions, owning user, or filename
= Accessing program characteristics such as properly signed and operating
system validated executable, program with very high permissions such as
System privileges, a program that the Ransomware Rewind has observed
accessing protected portions of the operating system, or a program which
Ransomware Rewind observed potentially being attacked and hijacked
(process hollowing, process injection) by an attacker
= A program which is attempting to access many files simultaneously
[0089] Ransomware Rewind software is configurable to react automatically in a
pre-
determined manner, either always or per set parameters such as time of day, or
to
notify and prompt the user for a desired response. It also, during
notification,
provides the user with details on the process path, attributes, permissions,
and relevant
analytic details for the program which is interacting with a particular
artifact,
including the machine information for which machine is alerting. The
Ransomware
Rewind software is configurable to provide multiple responses, either
automated
without user interaction, or manually after a user confirms a possible
ransomware
activity.
[0090] In order to respond to a potential security incident which has been
generated
by a user's agent, the user may task the agent into taking a specific action,
including a
remedial action against a probability of ransom attack. Tasks contain PIDs
and/or
executable paths in order to know which process to take action on. Tasks can
be
scheduled to automatically happen on specific time frames or in response to
agent
environment events. These task actions are how the system decides how to
handle or
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remedy particular processes which have been flagged as a potential ransomware
attack. To remedy the potential ransomware attack, the agent can be tasked to
Ignore,
Isolate, Kill (Safe and Unsafe), or Suspend (Safe and Unsafe) a given process
via a
process identifier (PD) or executable path.
[0091] When a message is received from the service for a process to be
isolated, its
ID is added to an internal table only visible by the driver and a handle is
acquired for
that process. When an isolated process is checked during a filesystem resource
handle acquisition, the driver uses its handle to the isolated process to
check that the
process ID that is to be isolated is the same process that should be blocked.
If the
isolated process is removed, its old process ID is freed from the list of
isolated
processes so that new processes will not be affected by the old request to
isolate
[0092] Security managers may observe legitimate access to Ransomware Rewind
software installed trap file artifacts, such as through automated backup of
all possible
files on a shared resource. It may not be desired by security managers to
receive
alerts when certain programs access trap file artifacts on certain machines,
or security
managers may wish to receive alerts but not take automated responses. Alerts
inform
security managers of the file path and system location of the program which is
currently associated with an incident. The security manager may record a one-
time or
permanent task to ignore the alert for either future alerts or to exempt the
program
from automated remediation, referred to as a one-time or a permanent white
list entry.
The security manager user is recorded for future auditing in the client
organization.
[0093] Partially in response to whitelisting such as performed by Ransomware
Rewind client security managers, attackers also attack legitimate business

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applications, to make trusted applications perform tasks on behalf of
attackers.
Multiple attacks are known and established to attackers and defenders, which
add
additional capability to existing running applications that are desired by the
attacker.
For example, this free program included source code of 4 types of adding
additional
capability, and taking control of existing running programs, and is available
for
download and customization by
attackers:
ttp s://gi Limb .com/3xpl 0 I te0d 3 riProcessinjecti on.
[0094] Ransomware Rewind detection and response alerts, in the case of a
legitimate
program that has been hijacked by an attacker, would report that known program
in an
incident. Ransomware Rewind monitors for program attacks such as this, and
reports
that to the security manager during an alert, if a program has experienced
this type of
attack before accessing trap file artifacts.
[0095] In the case of a security manager whitelisting a program, an alert is
still
recorded in the Ransomware Rewind incident database, and made available for
security managers to observe at a later date, even if the program is trusted.
The
security managers, in that case, should use knowledge of their business to
help inform
their assessment also performed by Ransomware Rewind as to whether this
application should have been accessing file traps artifacts at the time of the
incident.
[0096] The tasks can be created from any integration application, web
application or
mobile application, and the agent will configurably "check in" with the REST
API
periodically, e.g., once a minute, for new tasks. The agent will receive
information
about any pending tasks including process information and action to take.
After
completion of a task the agent will call out to the REST API, marking the
completion
of the specific task and reporting any new information gained about the
suspicious
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process. Tasks can be manually submitted to the agent or they can be
automatically
scheduled. Scheduled task responses can be given time and repetition
intervals.
During a scheduled interval for a given user or group, any applicable non-
whitelisted
processes that are determined to be suspicious will be automatically handled
based on
the schedule. This allows for automatic action to be taken after hours, during
the
holidays, or whenever someone may not be able to immediately check in to their
admin panel and decide to take action on a process. Tasks are sent to the REST
API
from the web app or mobile app as a response to a security incident. Tasks
serve to
inform the agent software what to do in a specific instance. Tasks can
currently do the
following actions, with more to follow: Isolate, Safe Suspend (Freeze), Safe
Kill,
Unsafe Suspend (Freeze) or Unsafe Kill. The agent will check in with the API
for
tasking frequently, e.g., every lm.
[0097] Users can create a schedule in order to automatically inform the agents
associated with a selected group how to respond when a potential threat
against their
device(s) occurs. In creating the schedule, users pick a start and end date
over a start
and end time in any flexible scheduling arrangement. A repeat option gives
users the
ability to set this automation to repeat daily, weekly, monthly, or never.
Users select a
Group from one of the Groups they are a member of in order to associate this
automated schedule with. Users can pick a task to associate with the schedule
including options to isolate, safe suspend, safe kill, unsafe suspend, and
unsafe kill
processes. Users can see a grid containing all existing schedules associated
with any
Group the current user is a member of. The grid shows helpful information to
the user
about the schedule. In one embodiment, users can access the system to find out
what
Group the given schedule is a part of. In another embodiment, users can access
the
chosen repeated patterns, the dates for the schedule to start and end, and the
chosen
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task to automate for the schedule. Users also have the option to delete an
automated
schedule or edit the schedule. The agent will use these schedules in order to
automatically decide how to respond to a suspicious process.
[0098] In yet another embodiment, role based security is applied across the
SaaS
platform. FIG. 11 shows a hierarchy of roles assigned to users called Admin,
Manager
and Participant where an Admin user and Manager user have read or write
privileges,
while a Participant user only has read privileges. Users can be assigned roles
in one
or more Groups for managing other users within their own Groups. A user with
sufficient privilege who is a member of a Group, can identify a role for the
Group by
naming the role. Users with sufficient privilege can select, or access rights,
that role.
For example, a user can be assigned a role to be a "Group Manager", which
allows
the user to add and remove users from a Group and assign roles to users within
that
Group. In one embodiment, the system provides the option to select a "Group
Manager" checkbox, which identifies all the listed permission and privileges
under
the Group Manager role.
[0099] Others roles assigned to a user within a Group or Sub-group could be
"Response Automation Manager" or "Incident Manager". The Response Automation
Manager role allows a user assigned to the role to create an automated
schedule, edit a
schedule, or delete a schedule. The Incident Manager role allows users to
determine
how they want to manage an incident, such as ignore or kill an incident. The
right to
perform tasking and automated response and remediation functionalities are
granted
to by a Group Manager.
[00100] A Group Manager can select a group and create custom roles. If
permitted by Group Manager, such custom roles can be created by users who have
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access privileges to do so for the Group. Such users also have the ability to
see each
role and its association with Groups they are a member of These roles are
displayed
inside a grid interface where privileged users can edit them or delete them.
Once
again, only users with granted permissions can edit or delete a role.
[00101] For group management, privileged users with permission can add
other
users to Groups they belong to. For example, a Group Manager can select which
Group to add a user to if such Group Manager has permission within the
selected
Group to add a user to that group. Users with privileges can register another
user
when adding to a Group, this new user will automatically be added to the
selected
Group. A group management web page shows each of the Groups and their members.
Users can also see what membership of other users in the same Groups they are
in.
Also, Group Managers have the option to remove a user from a certain Group or
assign a user certain roles made for that Group. A security check is made so
that not
just any user can remove or assign roles within groups. Users have a map
listing a
Group to a list of roles associated with that Group. They can be assigned
multiple
roles for the same Group, and they can be assigned multiple roles across any
Group
that the user is a member of. If a role is deleted, it is deleted from the map
of all users
who have been assigned this role.
[00102] Interfering with encryption of a file, to include stopping the
program
being encrypted, typically results in a corrupted file. When a program, as
common
with modern programs to include ransomware, encrypts multiple files at the
same
time, all files mid-encryption are corrupted. Ransomware samples have been
observed opening as many as 50 files at once to encrypt, meaning that
canceling the
ransomware mid-encryption would result in, in that example, 50 corrupted
files.
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[00103] Ransomware Rewind software automatically or through user
intervention removes the permissions for a running process to access
additional files
to write, by adjusting the operating system security token. The operating
system
security token for a process is the means for an operating system to allow or
disallow
actions for a process. This isolation response is near instantaneous, as the
operating
system checks the security token of a process before performing operating
system
API calls, of which file access operations work inside the context of the
operating
system permissions.
[00104] Ransomware Rewind software suspend response against a process
leverages the operating system memory and process management kernel API calls
to
suspend a process, which freezes all operations and memory for a process. This
stops
all activity that a process is conducting, but maintains the state the process
was in at
time of Ransomware Rewind response.
[00105] When a Ransomware Rewind software suspend occurs, novel and non-
novel forensic memory and process analytics are run against the suspend
process to
include enumeration of all process functions, capture of the memory state,
inspection
of the process for behavioral indicators of malicious activity or indicators
of
compromise (I0Cs), and execution of cryptographic behavior analytics on the
memory to look for encryption behaviors and cryptovariables.
[00106] If desired, a user may resume operation of suspended process
via the
Ransomware Rewind software, via the same operating system suspend/unsuspend
API call. This may be desired after the system and network have been
safeguarded,
and additional malicious behavior or analysis is desired during an incident
response or
forensic activity. This may also be useful in case of a legitimate process
being alerted.

CA 03148437 2022-01-21
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[00107] A user may also kill
a process via the Ransomware Rewind
software, either automatically or via user command. This uses operating system
process execution and termination API calls.
[00108] The Ransomware Rewind
software allows execution of isolate,
suspend, or kill. "Safe suspend" and "safe kill" functions combine isolation,
suspend
or kill, and one additional piece of functionality to eliminate file
corruption for files
mid-encryption. Since attackers
typically delete or encrypt backups before
encrypting files, and since backups are typically incomplete, corrupting files
unnecessarily should be avoided, to allow decryption. Ransomware Rewind
software,
on execution of isolation or any combination command leveraging isolation,
monitors
files currently being written using operating system file access APIs. After
all files
for that process have been completely encrypted, for scenarios for when user
data
encryption is not prevented, Ransomware Rewind reports status to the security
manager, and continues automatically suspending or killing the program as
necessary.
Using isolation, and waiting for any in-progress encryption to complete as
necessary,
decryption of any encrypted files is possible.
Unsafe suspend or kill is possible with Ransomware Rewind software, in which
neither isolation, nor waiting for existing file encryption activities to
occur, are
completed prior to suspending or killing a process.
[00109] The
implementation of the present invention by managing web pages
generate by Ransomware Rewind software system:
= Manage Agents Page
o This page contains a grid that lists all agents that are associated
with a Group Id that the current user is a part of. The columns on
the grid show information on each agent. On the grid, there is an
option to change the scan speed of the agent, varying from low to
extreme, and there is the option to set the agent to monitor the
kernel as true or false. There is a sub grid of the agent grid that will
show the path for the trap file if available. Also on this page, there
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is a downloader button that gives users the option to download the
agent.
= Manage Decryptors Page
o This page allows users to see the decryptors that have been
purchased for each Group the current user is a part of. The
information for each decryptor is displayed on the grid for the page,
and users have the option to download each decryptor as well.
= Submit Encrypted File and Download Solutions page
o The Submit Encrypted file page gives users the functionality to
submit an encrypted file, and select an agent to decrypt this file.
o Users can see the solution for this uploaded file in the Download
Solutions page. There is a grid on this page that shows the
solutions for the uploaded files. Users can download the encrypted
file, download the decrypted sample, or download the solution for
the uploaded files.
= Security Incidents Page
o This page allows users to see a grid for any security incidents that
are associated with any Group Id the current user is a member of,
which includes the status of the particular incident.
o Users can see more information about the incident as well in the
details of the grid. Users also have the option to assign a task for
the incident, such as: dismiss, isolate, suspend, or kill the incident.
They have the option to ignore the incident as well if desired.
o See more about managing incidents in the Tasking and Automated
Response & Remediation sections.
[00110] Having thus described the system and method in detail, it is to
be
understood that the foregoing description is not intended to limit the spirit
or scope
thereof. It will be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure
described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art can
make
any variations and modification without departing from the spirit and scope of
the
37

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disclosure. All such variations and modifications, including those discussed
above,
are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
38

Dessin représentatif
Une figure unique qui représente un dessin illustrant l'invention.
États administratifs

2024-08-01 : Dans le cadre de la transition vers les Brevets de nouvelle génération (BNG), la base de données sur les brevets canadiens (BDBC) contient désormais un Historique d'événement plus détaillé, qui reproduit le Journal des événements de notre nouvelle solution interne.

Veuillez noter que les événements débutant par « Inactive : » se réfèrent à des événements qui ne sont plus utilisés dans notre nouvelle solution interne.

Pour une meilleure compréhension de l'état de la demande ou brevet qui figure sur cette page, la rubrique Mise en garde , et les descriptions de Brevet , Historique d'événement , Taxes périodiques et Historique des paiements devraient être consultées.

Historique d'événement

Description Date
Lettre envoyée 2023-10-24
Inactive : Octroit téléchargé 2023-10-24
Inactive : Octroit téléchargé 2023-10-24
Accordé par délivrance 2023-10-24
Inactive : Page couverture publiée 2023-10-23
Préoctroi 2023-09-15
Inactive : Taxe finale reçue 2023-09-15
Lettre envoyée 2023-09-13
Exigences applicables à la revendication de priorité - jugée conforme 2023-09-13
Exigences de modification après acceptation - jugée conforme 2023-09-06
Lettre envoyée 2023-09-06
Modification après acceptation reçue 2023-08-23
month 2023-08-09
Lettre envoyée 2023-08-09
Un avis d'acceptation est envoyé 2023-08-09
Inactive : Approuvée aux fins d'acceptation (AFA) 2023-08-04
Inactive : Q2 réussi 2023-08-04
Lettre envoyée 2023-08-01
Exigences pour une requête d'examen - jugée conforme 2023-07-20
Toutes les exigences pour l'examen - jugée conforme 2023-07-20
Modification reçue - modification volontaire 2023-07-20
Avancement de l'examen jugé conforme - PPH 2023-07-20
Avancement de l'examen demandé - PPH 2023-07-20
Requête d'examen reçue 2023-07-20
Inactive : Page couverture publiée 2022-03-10
Demande reçue - PCT 2022-02-17
Inactive : CIB en 1re position 2022-02-17
Lettre envoyée 2022-02-17
Exigences applicables à la revendication de priorité - jugée conforme 2022-02-17
Demande de priorité reçue 2022-02-17
Demande de priorité reçue 2022-02-17
Inactive : CIB attribuée 2022-02-17
Inactive : CIB attribuée 2022-02-17
Exigences pour l'entrée dans la phase nationale - jugée conforme 2022-01-21
Demande publiée (accessible au public) 2021-01-28

Historique d'abandonnement

Il n'y a pas d'historique d'abandonnement

Taxes périodiques

Le dernier paiement a été reçu le 2023-06-23

Avis : Si le paiement en totalité n'a pas été reçu au plus tard à la date indiquée, une taxe supplémentaire peut être imposée, soit une des taxes suivantes :

  • taxe de rétablissement ;
  • taxe pour paiement en souffrance ; ou
  • taxe additionnelle pour le renversement d'une péremption réputée.

Les taxes sur les brevets sont ajustées au 1er janvier de chaque année. Les montants ci-dessus sont les montants actuels s'ils sont reçus au plus tard le 31 décembre de l'année en cours.
Veuillez vous référer à la page web des taxes sur les brevets de l'OPIC pour voir tous les montants actuels des taxes.

Historique des taxes

Type de taxes Anniversaire Échéance Date payée
Taxe nationale de base - générale 2022-01-21 2022-01-21
TM (demande, 2e anniv.) - générale 02 2022-07-21 2022-05-16
TM (demande, 3e anniv.) - générale 03 2023-07-21 2023-06-23
Requête d'examen - générale 2024-07-22 2023-07-20
Taxe finale - générale 2023-09-15
TM (brevet, 4e anniv.) - générale 2024-07-22 2024-06-25
Titulaires au dossier

Les titulaires actuels et antérieures au dossier sont affichés en ordre alphabétique.

Titulaires actuels au dossier
CYBER CRUCIBLE INC.
Titulaires antérieures au dossier
DENNIS UNDERWOOD
KYLE NEHMAN
MARK WEIDEMAN
NOAH GREENBURG
Les propriétaires antérieurs qui ne figurent pas dans la liste des « Propriétaires au dossier » apparaîtront dans d'autres documents au dossier.
Documents

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Liste des documents de brevet publiés et non publiés sur la BDBC .

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Description du
Document 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Nombre de pages   Taille de l'image (Ko) 
Revendications 2023-07-19 3 118
Revendications 2023-08-22 3 117
Dessin représentatif 2023-10-12 1 38
Page couverture 2023-10-12 1 73
Description 2022-01-20 38 1 507
Dessins 2022-01-20 11 491
Dessin représentatif 2022-01-20 1 41
Revendications 2022-01-20 4 93
Abrégé 2022-01-20 2 88
Page couverture 2022-03-09 1 59
Paiement de taxe périodique 2024-06-24 3 109
Courtoisie - Lettre confirmant l'entrée en phase nationale en vertu du PCT 2022-02-16 1 587
Courtoisie - Réception de la requête d'examen 2023-07-31 1 422
Avis du commissaire - Demande jugée acceptable 2023-08-08 1 579
Courtoisie - Lettre confirmant l'entrée en phase nationale en vertu du PCT 2023-09-12 1 594
Documents justificatifs PPH 2023-07-19 14 1 116
Requête ATDB (PPH) 2023-07-19 11 557
Modification après acceptation 2023-08-22 7 171
Courtoisie - Accusé d’acceptation de modification après l’avis d’acceptation 2023-09-05 1 185
Taxe finale 2023-09-14 3 85
Certificat électronique d'octroi 2023-10-23 1 2 527
Rapport prélim. intl. sur la brevetabilité 2022-01-20 26 1 298
Demande d'entrée en phase nationale 2022-01-20 6 164
Rapport de recherche internationale 2022-01-20 2 93
Traité de coopération en matière de brevets (PCT) 2022-01-20 2 89